Located on the high street, the Starlight Ballroom in Crawley, West Sussex was a significant music venue in the UK during the 1960s. Peter Griffin booked artists for the venue, together with the Starlite Ballroom in Greenford, London.
I have started to compile a list of artists that were advertised at the venue between 1966 and 1968 and would welcome any additions/corrections. I have noted down the sources.
It is important to stress that these are listings for artists who were advertised in local papers or on posters so it’s quite possible that changes in the final billing may have taken place. I’ve tried to note them down where they are confirmed.
1965
29 October 1965 – The Animals (Record Mirror)
4 November 1965 – Unit 4 Plus 2 (Record Mirror and Beat Instrumental)
2 December 1965 – The Small Faces (Record Mirror and Beat Instrumental)
9 December 1965 – Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas (Beat Instrumental)
1966
6 January 1966 – The Hollies (Beat Instrumental)
13 January 1966 – Dave Berry & The Cruisers (Beat Instrumental)
27 January 1966 – The Swinging Blue Jeans (Record Mirror)
3 February 1966 – The Moody Blues (Beat Instrumental)
10 February 1966 – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Beat Instrumental)
18 March 1966 – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Beat Instrumental)
21 April – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band and The Fleur De Lys (Caterham Weekly Press) Beat Instrumental had The Small Faces on this date
5 May – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, The Gobbledegooks and The Cadalacks (Caterham Weekly Press)
15 May – The Manchester Playboys (Caterham Weekly Press)
19 May – (Jimmy James &) The Vagabonds (Caterham Weekly Press)
26 May – The Action and The Powerhouse Six (Caterham Weekly Press)
1 December – The Bunch of Fives (Mid Sussex Times)
1967
12 March – The 1st Lites (Surrey Mirror)
26 March – The Iveys (Surrey Mirror)
31 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Crawley Advertiser)
2 April – Zoot Money and His Big Roll Band (Melody Maker)
23 April – Pink Floyd and The Doves (poster)
5 May – Shell Shock Show and The Gods (Crawley Advertiser/Surrey Mirror)
7 May – Alan Bown Set (Crawley Advertiser/Surrey Mirror)
19 May – Lunar II and The Honey Band (Crawley Advertiser)
21 May – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set and Prince Buster & The Bees (Crawley Advertiser)
26 May – Alan Bown Set (Surrey Mirror)
28 May – The Shell Shock Show (Surrey Mirror)
4 June – Ray King Soul Band and The Gods (Crawley Advertiser)
11 June – Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and Craig King & The Midnight Train (Crawley Advertiser)
18 June – John Lee Hooker and The Hip Hooray Band (Crawley Advertiser)
25 June – Alan Price Set with support groups (Crawley Advertiser)
2 July – The Outer Limits and support group (Crawley Advertiser)
29 July – The Kindred (Surrey Mirror)
30 July – Sam and Bill with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement and The Gas Company (Surrey Mirror)
5 August – The Cornermen (Surrey Mirror)
6 August – Winston’s Fumbs and Geranium Pond (Surrey Mirror)
13 August – Cats Pyjamas and Geranium Pond (Surrey Mirror)
16 September – Aubrey Denny & The Cornermen and The Kindred (Surrey Mirror)
17 September – The Tiles Big Band and Gentle Madness (Surrey Mirror)
23 September – The Exits and The Visitors (Surrey Mirror)
24 September – The Small Faces and Modes Mode (Surrey Mirror)
30 September – The Exits (Surrey Mirror)
1 October – The Move and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)
7 October – The Exits (Surrey Mirror)
8 October – Dantalion’s Chariot and The Kindred (Surrey Mirror)
14 October – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)
15 October – The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)
Henry Turtle, singer/songwriter and guitarist with The Doves, says Jo Jo Gunne didn’t turn up and The Doves were parachuted in at the last minute. A poster confirms The Doves with Jimi Hendrix for this date without Jo Jo Gunne listed.
21 October – The Exits (Surrey Mirror)
22 October – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Surrey Mirror)
28 October – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)
29 October – The Original Drifters (most likely backed by The Trend) (Surrey Mirror)
4 November – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)
5 November – Long John Baldry (with Bluesology) and The Deadly Nightshade (Surrey Mirror)
11 November – Fascination (afternoon). The Exits and The Mover (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
12 November – Jo Jo Gunne and Modes Mode (Surrey Mirror)
18 November – Fascination (afternoon). The Exits and The Mover (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
19 November – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and The All Night Workers (Surrey Mirror)
25 November – The Exits (Surrey Mirror)
26 November – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Surrey Mirror) and The Army (Melody Maker)
2 December – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)
3 December – The Fabulous Temptations (aka The Fantastics) and The Army (Surrey Mirror)
9 December – The Exits and The Mover (Surrey Mirror)
10 December – The Foundations (Surrey Mirror)
Jo Jo Gunne may have been on the bill with The Foundations but needs confirmation
16 December – The Kindred (afternoon) and The Exits (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
17 December – The Vibrations (Surrey Mirror)
23 December – The All Night Workers and The Exits (Surrey Mirror)
24 December – Jo Jo Gunne and The Exits (Surrey Mirror)
30 December – The Exits and The Tony Strudwick Orchestra (Surrey Mirror)
31 December – Jo Jo Gunne and Precisely This (Surrey Mirror)
1968
6 January – Dave’s Dimensions (afternoon) and The Exits (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
7 January – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Surrey Mirror)
13 January – Jason Crest (Surrey Mirror)
14 January – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds with support band (Surrey Mirror)
20 January – The Taste (afternoon) and BBC’s Stuart Henry and The Army (Surrey Mirror)
21 January – The Human Instinct and The Summits (Surrey Mirror)
27 January – BBC’s Stuart Henry and The Age with Rice Milton (Surrey Mirror)
28 January – Desmond Dekker & The Aces and The Inspiration (Surrey Mirror)
3 February – Purple Dream and The Taste (Surrey Mirror)
4 February – Edwin Starr (Surrey Mirror/New Musical Express) and Gin House Blues (Surrey Mirror)
10 February – Jo Jo Gunne and The Doves (Surrey Mirror)
11 February – The Who and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)
17 February – The Mike Stuart Span and The Memphis Gents (Surrey Mirror)
18 February – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Surrey Mirror)
Henry Turtle says that The Doves opened for Jimmy James & The Vagabonds at this venue. It might have been on this occasion or another time.
24 February – Damson Flies (afternoon) and Misty Romance and Exploding Orange (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
25 February – The Human Instinct and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)
2 March – Size Five and The Race (Surrey Mirror)
3 March – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Surrey Mirror)
9 March – Surprise group (afternoon) and Jo Jo Gunne and Modes Mode (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
10 March – The Fabulous Temptations (aka The Fantastics) and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)
16 March – Surprise group (afternoon) and Zoot Money (aka Dantalion’s Chariot) (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
17 March – The Small Faces and Kristan Young & The Reflections (Surrey Mirror)
23 March – Surprise group (afternoon) and DJ Pete Drummond and The All Night Workers (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
24 March – The Skatalites and The Extreme Sound (Surrey Mirror)
30 March – Sulphate of Ammania (afternoon) and Tony Strudwick & His Band (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
31 March – The Original Drifters and Jo Jo Gunne (Surrey Mirror)
Drummer Paul Maher of Jo Jo Gunne says he covered for the drummer in the backing band for The Original Drifters as he was ill.
6 April – The Fascinations (afternoon) and Miss Gatwick 1968 competition and Tony Strudwick & His Band (evening) with Colin Berry and Size Five in the upstairs lounge (evening) (Surrey Mirror)
7 April – Modes Mode and Ffolley & The Rainbow (aka Rainbow Ffolley) (Surrey Mirror)
13 April – The New Breed (Surrey Mirror)
14 April – Peter London’s Rock and Roll Band and The New Breed (Surrey Mirror)
27 April – JJ Jackson (Evening Argus)
1 June – The Equals and The Motion (Surrey Mirror)
23 June – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch (New Musical Express)
FINAL NOTE:
Henry Turtle says that The Doves also opened for the following artists at this venue but I haven’t been able to find listings: Amen Corner, The Small Faces and Wishful Thinking
Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author
We started with the junior disco. I remember many of the big acts. Saw The Small Faces and many more. What about the Fox Promotions gigs in the week. We saw Status Quo just before their huge comeback, Curved Air, Hawkwind, Argent, Mott the Hoople and more. How lucky we were then.
Does anyone remember the Inventive MrJeff as support band to, Zoot Money at the Rag Ball on the 16th March 1968. With guest star, Cathy mcGowan. I was the lead guitarist in the inventive mr Jeff at that time.. just coming 16 years old….
How about when Ike and Tina Turner performed at the Starlight? – young Tina was absolutely mind-blowing. Think it was probably 1967/68? (Guessing…)
Yes! I can’t find that listed anywhere and I know I didn’t imagine it. I wonder why it doesn’t show up. I’m glad someone else remembers seeing them there – it was incredible
The write up of who booked the groups has my name wrong it’s not Paul Griffin it should read Peter Griffin I looked after the Starlight Greenford and the Starlight at Crawley amongst several other venues. I left the company in 1971 after 10 years in the entertainment industry and now reside in NSW Australia.
The 60’s and 70’s were the best times.
Hello.
Are you the Peter Griffin who worked with my father, Kenneth Harvey?
I recall him mentioning someone with your name and we often stopped by the Starlight on a Saturday morning when I was very young. I can still remember the sound of the adding machine! I know he had something to do with a band called The Shell Shock Show and The Voids… and a few others.
Kind regards
Stephen
Well recall seeing Zoot Money, Small Faces, The Animals, Georgie Fame, Chris Farlow, Geno Washington, and many others who I can’t remember as now well over 70! Good times
Wow what memories saw a lot of those bands, great times
This is an interesting site. Thanks for starting it.
I played drums in the sixties and my band, The Basic Design played twice at the Starlite. The first was in 1966 supporting The Easybeats and the second was in 1967 supporting Zoot Money’s, Dantalions Chariot. I remember playing on the revolving stage opposite the main higher stage. I mention higher because I can still see Zoot Money standing on his white organ trying to see my band. Our vocalist was doing his Geno impression and the crowd were going bananas.
On this day that Tina Turner had sadly passed away I remember seeing her with Ike and the Iketts at the Starlight Ballroom. Think it was 1968
I was also there when Jimmy Hedrix performed.
Think that was also 1968